Craig Gordon ready to be Hearts No.1 again
Even at 41, the goalkeeper’s appetite for competitive action remains fierce
Craig Gordon declared himself ready to be Hearts’ No.1 goalkeeper again ahead of Saturday’s opening Premiership game against Rangers. After overcoming a double leg-break and the disappointment of being left out of Scotland’s European Championship squad, Gordon is determined to bounce back this season.
At 41, he has gone through a rigorous pre-season programme and feels his body is equipped to be first-choice at Tynecastle Park as he pursues another Hearts record. One more appearance in European competition will be his 23rd for the Edinburgh club, exceeding the previous record set by both Henry Smith and Steven Pressley.
Gordon’s immediate priority is to ensure he is selected against Rangers as the new campaign starts this weekend. He played only seven times at club level last season after recovering from a year out injured, with Zander Clark making 42 appearances in his absence. In the second part of an exclusive interview with the Edinburgh News, Gordon stressed he is ready for the demands of being Hearts’ main keeper once again.
“Yeah, absolutely. Physically, I feel good and ready to play,” he said. “I haven't really had that run of five or six games in a row [since the injury] and really feel cemented in the team again. That's the aim for this season. I'd love to start that ball rolling this week but I can only concentrate on myself, perform the best I can and put myself in the manager's thoughts. I feel I have had a good pre-season, personally. I'm happy with where I am and I think I've put myself in a good position to try and get the nod this weekend.
“I found pre-season good. I probably did more of it by coming back a little bit earlier having not been away with the national team. I feel good and I feel ready to play, which is a nice feeling. The leg feels even better than it did last season. Having that time to have a pre-season and work on my body has helped me make sure I'm ready to go. It's a big plus for me.”
Hearts finished pre-season with a 3-0 loss at Fleetwood Town last weekend. Following a punishing summer schedule, this week will be more of a return to normality. “We looked leggy and a bit tired on Saturday. Maybe it's just a culmination of all the pre-season work but that's it out of the way now. It's on to the real stuff,” said Gordon.
“We have a structured week this week, where it's all focusing on the Rangers game. There are less sessions and that gives us a chance to get our legs back and hit the ground running at the weekend. There have been positives in all the [pre-season] games at different stages. It's about bringing that all together now. People are getting minutes at different times, you are trying to figure out combinations, who works well with who, plus we have brought in a lot of players. The manager has been trying to figure out the best staring XI.”